Tuesday 7 November 2006
Noam Chomsky supports Fair Trade campaign against Second Cup
"I'm very pleased to learn of the initiative. The plight of coffee growers is severe, even more so than small farmers generally, and it is outrageous that they and their families should starve while ample profits are reaped by distributing and marketing conglomerates. I am confident that Canadians would be happy to make a slight effort to help them gain a share of what is rightly due them by insisting on fair trade." - Noam Chomsky Dear Friends: Caféjustice, Canada's oldest Fair Trade advocacy organization, is currently spearheading a national pressure campaign against Second Cup in response to the devastating coffee crisis brought on by the recent catastrophic plunge in the world price of coffee, which has resulted in near starvation for more than 15 million small coffee farmers and their families. It is very similar to the successful US pressure campaign against Starbucks launched by Global Exchange during the late nineties, which forced Starbucks to begin selling Fair Trade coffee in 2000. Today, Starbucks is the world's largest purchaser of certified Fair Trade coffee, yet Second Cup still refuses to offer Fair Trade to their customers. Currently, we are assembling a coalition of as many Canadian social justice organizations as possible to endorse an Open Letter to the company imploring them to follow Starbucks' example and begin offering Fair Trade coffee as one option among many. This will be the first phase of the campaign. After the letter is sent, there will be a media blitz, followed by an opportunity for Second Cup to respond. Then, if Second Cup still refuses to sell Fair Trade coffee, we will move into the next phase, which could involve a Day of Action, street theatre, etc. The campaign has already been endorsed by scores of Canadian labour, human rights, environmental, and other social justice organizations. You can check out our website at http://www.boycottsecondcup.com for more info on the campaign, to download the Open Letter and to find out what you can do to help. Also, please take a few seconds to sign an online petition started by Oxfam Toronto urging Second Cup to offer fair Trade coffee. http://www.petitiononline.com/FTT1/petition.html This is an ideal opportunity to Think Globally, Act Locally.Thanks for your help. In solidarity, Max Wallace National Campaign Coordinator, Caféjustice zeropoverty@email.com
"I'm very pleased to learn of the initiative. The plight of coffee growers is severe, even more so than small farmers generally, and it is outrageous that they and their families should starve while ample profits are reaped by distributing and marketing conglomerates. I am confident that Canadians would be happy to make a slight effort to help them gain a share of what is rightly due them by insisting on fair trade." - Noam Chomsky Dear Friends: Caféjustice, Canada's oldest Fair Trade advocacy organization, is currently spearheading a national pressure campaign against Second Cup in response to the devastating coffee crisis brought on by the recent catastrophic plunge in the world price of coffee, which has resulted in near starvation for more than 15 million small coffee farmers and their families. It is very similar to the successful US pressure campaign against Starbucks launched by Global Exchange during the late nineties, which forced Starbucks to begin selling Fair Trade coffee in 2000. Today, Starbucks is the world's largest purchaser of certified Fair Trade coffee, yet Second Cup still refuses to offer Fair Trade to their customers. Currently, we are assembling a coalition of as many Canadian social justice organizations as possible to endorse an Open Letter to the company imploring them to follow Starbucks' example and begin offering Fair Trade coffee as one option among many. This will be the first phase of the campaign. After the letter is sent, there will be a media blitz, followed by an opportunity for Second Cup to respond. Then, if Second Cup still refuses to sell Fair Trade coffee, we will move into the next phase, which could involve a Day of Action, street theatre, etc. The campaign has already been endorsed by scores of Canadian labour, human rights, environmental, and other social justice organizations. You can check out our website at http://www.boycottsecondcup.com for more info on the campaign, to download the Open Letter and to find out what you can do to help. Also, please take a few seconds to sign an online petition started by Oxfam Toronto urging Second Cup to offer fair Trade coffee. http://www.petitiononline.com/FTT1/petition.html This is an ideal opportunity to Think Globally, Act Locally.Thanks for your help. In solidarity, Max Wallace National Campaign Coordinator, Caféjustice zeropoverty@email.com
# posted by Taodhg @ 10:38 am 
